Disclaimer – I own nothing of CATS or the song Jolene. Both of them belong to their respected owners (Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot & Dolly Parton). I do own Jolene – my original character and the plot. Also, I own Whisperwhiskers – my other original character – he's in my CATS story entitled 'We Belong Together'. 'Nuff said.
Jolene's description – auburn and ivory striped tabby with large green eyes. Also has four white paws and a diamond-shaped birthmark at the end of her pink nose.
A/N: This song has been stuck in my head for over a week and the more I sang it, the more I thought about this idea. Some lyrics have been changed to fit the story better.
Italics are song lyrics and thoughts.
Summary: AU: A new cat named Jolene joins the tribe and tries to take Munkustrap away from Cassandra. Set to the song Jolene by Dolly Parton. Rated T for safety. One-Shot. Some lyrics have been changed to fit the story better.
Genre: Romance/None
Rating: T
Cassandra watched with narrowed eyes as Munkustrap rubbed the new member of the tribe – a female named Jolene. Cassandra didn't like her, even though she knew nothing about her.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my tom
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
Later that night, Cassandra confronted Munkustrap about the new addition to the tribe, but she couldn't find the Jellicle leader anywhere. Her ears pricked up and she went to the tire where she usually slept. There they were, nestled together. Munkustrap lifted his head and saw Cassandra standing there. He moved away from Jolene and crept towards Cassandra, but she hissed when he got too close.
Your beauty is beyond compare with flaming
Locks of auburn and ivory fur with eyes of
Emerald green
Your purr is like a breath of spring and your meow is
Soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you Jolene
A week later, Cassandra and Munkustrap were nestled together when she heard Strap meow 'Jolene' in his sleep. Cassandra ignored it and continued sleeping. She then heard him say some other things that Cassandra couldn't help but overhear. He talked about Jolene's coat and how pretty it was and the diamond-shaped birthmark on her nose. Cassandra felt like meowing sadly right then and there, but she held it in because she was strong and something like this wouldn't get to her.
He meows about you in his sleep and there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name Jolene
But I can easily understand how you could easily take my tom
But you don't know what he means to me Jolene
Cassandra had a very big decision to make – should she let Munkustrap be with Jolene (it was obvious that he loved her) or should she make him stay until her kittens were due. She decided to ask her friend Quaxo what she should do.
"If I were you, I would let him go. I'll help you raise the kittens." Quaxo said, looking at Cassandra. Cassandra had two weeks to go in her pregnancy and it was very hard on her. Quaxo, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer and Demeter were the only cats – besides Munkustrap – that paid Cassandra any mind. Cassandra decided that she needed to talk to Jolene and let her know how much Strap meant to her – he was the father of her kittens, for Jellicle's sake!
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my tom
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
You could have your choice of toms but I could never love again
He's the only one for me Jolene
I had to have this talk with you my happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do Jolene
Three days later, Cassandra saw Jolene by herself and decided to talk to her.
"Jolene? May I talk to you?" Cassandra asked, ignoring the pain in her stomach. The kittens were moving around and were very active, especially during the day.
"Sure." Jolene answered, looking at Cassandra's stomach. "When are you due?"
"In a couple of weeks." Cassandra told the other cat. "What I want to talk to you about is Munkustrap. He's my mate and I understand that you're falling in love with him, but I would really like to stay with him. Your happiness is important to me and I'll be happy with whatever you decide to do. If he leaves me, I can't love anyone else other than him." Cassandra said, not realizing that she was rambling – a bad habit of hers.
"I understand, Cassandra and that's why I'm letting Munkustrap go. I'm sorry I tried to take him away from you." Jolene apologized. Cassandra rubbed her face in friendship, happy that everything worked out.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my tom
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Two weeks later, Cassandra went off far away from the tribe to deliver her kittens. Jolene, Munkustrap and Whisperwhiskers followed Cassandra to assist her with the birth. Whisperwhiskers was Munkustrap's brother and was a black tabby. He was also Jolene's new mate and best friend.
As the Jellicle moon rose, Cassandra delivered her last kitten. She had delivered ten kittens in all. Munkustrap licked the top of Cassandra's head as her kittens nursed. Jolene rested her head against Whisperwhiskers' chest and gazed up at him. The other tom smiled and licked the top of her head.
"That one looks like me." Munkustrap said, pointing to a little gray tabby that looked exactly like him. Cassandra had three tabby kittens – two grays and an orange; three calicos, four pure black and a pure white. Cassandra frowned, for she knew that the pure white kitten would be deaf.
The kittens grew bigger each day and the four couples contemplated names for the kittens. The pure white, the orange tabby and all three calicos were girls. The four black and the two gray tabbies were boys.
"For the girls, I was thinking Glitterfoot, Mountainstar, Cream and Pumpkin." Cassandra said, watching her kittens tumble and play.
"Lovely names, dear. For my sons, I was thinking Whiskerwhisper, Black Beard, Midnight Song, Eveningstorm and Blacknight." Munkustrap said. Cassandra smiled sleepily and agreed with her mate's names for the kittens.
Jolene and Whisperwhiskers welcomed their own kittens – they had two – in the spring of that same year. They had a little tom that was the color of spun silk. His sister was the spitting image of her father. They named their kittens Longleaf and Jinsing.
The four families lives couldn't get any happier than they already were.